Message from the Chief

A message from Chief Yaahl Iiwaans
-Chief Bryce Williams

Chief Bryce Williams

Greetings, my fellow TFN Members.

First off, I would like to say to the Tsawwassen First Nation people for electing me as your Chief. I am very humbled and honoured to serve the people as Chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation. I now have a lot of hard work, learning and studying ahead of me but sitting on Executive Council for three years has laid the stepping stones for me to able to sit in my position as Chief.

We are in critical times right now and I want to reassure you that I am confident in moving our community to becoming a stronger, sovereign, self-sustainable First Nation community. I’ll add that staff helps to make this all possible, so I’d like to thank staff for their hard work and commitment to our nation. We have many opportunities with our Treaty and self-governance and we need to use these tools to strengthen our nation. I am also confident that we as a community, youth, elders and all Members, can revive and rebuild our language and culture together. The youth are our next generation of leaders to come and we need to focus on them so we can assist and encourage them to learn and embrace their traditions along with getting a strong education.

We are a strong nation right now but soon we will be more powerful than ever, culturally and economically. I welcome and encourage all input from our Members; I will make sure that your voice is listened to and respected. I want to involve the community in governance and keep everyone informed and educated in many different ways and will work out a strategy to do so. I want to have an open communication between Chief and Council and the membership, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to participate with and in the government. I value my fellow Members’ input just as much as I value our Executive Council and Legislators’ advice and input. Right now our government is exploring and debating our options to have a realistic approach to setting up our Treaty dividends along with other important matters. We want to move forward in a way that will equally benefit TFN Members and the TFN government.

I want the people and the government to prosper and move forward with great stability and sustainability. I want to establish a system that will promote the sustainability of TFN organizations, but most important is the sustainability, health, pride and well-being of our Coast Salish people of the Tsawwassen First Nation.